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LIVE IN CONCERT 9/14/2013 - WALDO'S (LYNNWOOD) |
With an intense dedication to live performance, they've defined their own take on modern rock, fuel-injecting fun and energy back into the "Seattle sound". Huge guitar, driving bass, powerful drums, and scorching vocals work together like a finely-tuned performance machine... so sit back, buckle up, and enjoy the ride!
Shel Van Taylor Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, stage manager, producer
Seattle native Shel Van Taylor is a performing artist who loves to express himself through music. After going through the normal garage band learning process, Shel formed and performed with the Substitutes, an original/cover band in Seattle. The Substitutes released one full-length album and toured extensively. Shel wrote all the songs on the album. The Substitutes opened and played with the likes of The Romantics, Paul Collins Beat, The Rangehoods, The Eagertones, Elvin Bishop, Randy Hansen, Nazareth, and many more. Shel then moved on to form and perform in Model 29, a Seattle based power trio. Shel fronted the band and played all guitars. Model 29 was a high-energy band that created quite a buzz in the industry and was part of the grunge scene in the mid 90's. They rehearsed at Naf Studios and hung out with bands such as Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, My Sisters Machine, Tad, Zeke, Blues Traveler, and many more. Wild Zombie Birdhouse was Shel's next venture, releasing one EP, "Tweet", on Macrotrack records. Shel wrote, sang, and played all instruments on this EP except for drums. Now with 93 OCTANE, Shel delivers the raw power that surges through his veins. "Rock it out bros!"
Scott Nelson Lead guitar, backing vocals, band manager, audio engineer, producer
Originally from Phoenix, Scott Nelson's guitar creates the building blocks for 93 Octane's sound. While in Phoenix, he formed the band Vertigo, and gained a loyal following playing some of the most popular clubs in the Valley of the Sun. The first album was predominantly written by Scott but shortly after its release, he relocated to his new home, Seattle. Scott discovered he was really moved by the instrumental rock sound of guitar hero's like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Gary Hoey, so he decided to focus his attention on writing a full length album in that genre entitled Lucky Numbers. It was a personal triumph to tackle such a project on his own, playing all the instruments (except drums), but he longed for a bigger musical vision. Soon, he began writing the music that would eventually become 93 OCTANE. His musical partnership with Shel Van Taylor emulates the classic Page/Plant duo, where the music created between the two is much greater than the sum of the individual parts.
Keith Kelly Bass, backing vocals, audio engineer, graphic designer, web administrator
Photos by Nadalin Photography
Keith moved from Houston to Seattle in 1999 and now provides the backbone for 93 OCTANE's sound. He took piano lessons as a child, but the music that moved him wasn't classical. Keith wrote and produced electronic music for several years, until he grew fascinated with bass-centric alternative rock bands like Primus, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Faith No More. Keith rushed out and bought a bass guitar and began teaching himself to play it. After moving to Seattle, Keith joined The Soul Proprietors, a local soul and Motown cover band, and gigged regularly with them for several years. Later, he formed and led an alternative rock cover band called The Morans, focused on playing seldom-covered highly-challenging songs and bands within the genre. As a joke at a house party, the band played an improvised version of the Commodores song "Brick House" and posted a video recording of it up on YouTube. The punchline was that Universal Studios contacted the band and licensed the audio of that recording for use in the opening scene of the 2009 movie "Duplicity" starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen.
Jeff Hall Drums
Jeff has been an Edmonds, WA resident since birth and has a long list of accomplishments to his name. He has recorded locally and takes a lot of pride in his craft. Jeff started playing the drums in the 7th grade, made the jazz lab band as a freshman at WSU, and played every club he could. He has studied both jazz history and music theory and learned from some of the Pacific Northwest's top instructors. Fortunately for 93 OCTANE, Jeff gradually developed a passion for rock drumming. He joined a rock band that played fraternity gigs and high school dances throughout the region, transferring his well-honed skills to a new and exciting style. Jeff has been an incredible addition to 93 OCTANE, bringing to the group his on-stage energy and his passion for hard rock music.